Crayfish Help

[blue2fyre]

How do you tell the difference between CPOs and young P. clarkii?

I bought a CPO about a week and a half ago. I've never seen them in person but he seemed to be the real deal. I asked about the crays and the sales people were very knowledgeable. This is a good lfs and I don't think they would trick me on purpose.

Anyway I was concerned at first about him really being a CPO but it was hard to tell. Now he's molted and his claws look larger. This morning he almost caught a shrimp and I watched as he chewed a java fern leaf down to the numb.

When i was first concerned I called the lfs and got more info. they told me don't believe everything you read online blah blah. They said if I could prove it then I would get my money back.

It just seems so hard to tell at this age.

He's hiding right now but here are some pictures I have.

 

[Wycco]

My CSB (Cambarellus Shufeldtii Brown *), will eat plants too if they're broken... they won't touch live ones- but if a piece of plant breaks off and floats around- they may give it a nibble.

Attacking a plant- (a healthy plant) or leaves that are attached to a growing plant does not sound like a Cambarellus trait to me though. Unless it is particulary hungry I suppose. I know even plant-safe snails CAN attack plants if hungry enough.




Other than that- I'm no cray expert- just my two-cents. Certainly no good at telling them apart...

Comparing the cray in the photo to the snails and shrimp- he looks a little large to me to be a CPO... but I'm no expert and only have Shufeldtii- but I thought the two were comparably sized.








* Yes- I just inveted the term CSB to make my CSB's sound more exotic. LOL They're no CPOs but I love 'em anyway!

 

[blue2fyre]

Yeah that's the thing. My java fern has been looking pitiful for a while so I don't know if he's eating it because of that. He eats everything so I've been feeding him everyday.

I also thought he looked pretty big. They had him in a 20 long at the store so I couldn't tell. But when I got him home he looked huge in my 5 gallon.

 

[Wycco]

Java Ferns are pretty tough too...

I do have some herbivours in my tank- my tylos will go wild on my plants if I don't keep some squash handy for them at all times. Occassionally the Spixis I have take a nibble too.

One of the plants no-one ever touches is the Java Fern. They're pretty tough leaves... supposedly bitter too... takes a serious herbivour to eat one of them. People even sometimes keep them with herbivorous fish.

I really can't believe a CPO would eat them... but again, I'm no expert- so I'll defer if the experts say they can.

 

[blue2fyre]

That's what I was afraid of .

This is so sad I've really enjoyed having the little guy. Well for now I removed him just in case. I'll go to the lfs and talk with them there, see if we can work something out. I have some new shrimp coming in this week I don't want to risk him killing them until I know for sure.

 

[pbmax]

Wow, I didn't realize clarkii came in orange until now. How about setting up a new tank for him, if it turns out he is a clarkii? It seems to me that more tanks are better than fewer... How long is he now? CPOs top out under 2", if I recall correctly.

 

[Bubbles2112]

Can you take a clear photo of the crays topside looking down at it--specifically its carapace (first segment where the head is)? That would help a lot.

His claws (chelae) look a bit long (last photo) and shaped wrong to be a CPO but I can't tell if that is from the way the cray is holding his claws and the photo angle.

 

[blue2fyre]

He's over 1.5" long from nose to tail not including claws. I will try to get that picture.

 

[blue2fyre]

Here's the best I could get. What are you looking for with these?

 

[pbmax]

That sure looks a lot like my CPOs; it's about the same size as my male. I kept looking back and forth between your pix and my male in his tank and I can't tell the difference. :crazy:

Of course, IANACFE (I am not a crayfish expert)...